North Hop Launches new festival for Scottish spirits

Morag Kuc

Organisers of the popular North Hop festivals and events have launched an exciting new festival for its fans celebrating spirits from across Scotland.

The inaugural ‘Spirit of North Hop’ launches in Aberdeen this month (Saturday, October 28) at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, where the previous two North Hop Aberdeen festivals have been held.

The one-day festival will host two sessions featuring special 'Spiritual Sessions' offering the chance to meet the distillers and learn more about how the products are made and the stories behind them.

The distilleries attending will be showcasing the latest trends in gin, whisky, vodka, rum, tequila and liqueurs, letting revellers discover some brand new distilleries and re-visit favourite ones whilst soaking up a festival atmosphere. Each distillery will be serving up samples, perfect serves and cocktails.

There will also be street food vendors, a prosecco bar and a North Hop Bar with craft beer, cider, soft drinks and guest spirits, along with local DJ’s on across the sessions setting the vibe.

North Hop, was created by marketing professional Michelle Russell through a love of craft beer and gin and the realisation that awareness needed to be raised for the growing craft drinks industry. It has since put Scotland firmly on the craft drinks map through a series of festivals and events across Scotland including Aberdeen, Inverness, Aviemore, Glasgow and Edinburgh welcoming more than 10,000 fellow craft drink fans.

North Hop founder Michelle Russell, said: “I have seen a massive growth in the Scottish spirits industry over the last few years and although gin went through a big popularity phase vodka, rum and liqueurs are all now making a big impact.

"Whisky is also giving gin a run for its money with new-make spirits and an increase in popular whisky based cocktails. And with the recent launch of Scotland’s first Tequila brand now seemed the perfect time to celebrate Scottish spirits, the North Hop way!”

Director of Sales and Marketing at AECC, Louise Stewart added: “We’ve watched North Hop grow in popularity and noticed how they’ve really made their mark in the city so the launch of Spirit of North Hop is another great addition to the festival calendar for the city.

"It will offer fans of Scottish food and drink a different dynamic whilst allowing them to find a new love within the array of Scottish spirits that the region has to offer. Aberdonians are rightly proud of the fantastic food and drink that is produced locally and we are sure they will turn out in their numbers to make the first ever Spirit of North Hop a huge success.”